Installing and Removing Programs

With so many programs available to help save you time, increase your productivity, broaden your knowledge base, or simply entertain you, one of your first tasks with a new computer system is usually installing programs. When you upgrade from a previous version of Windows, your installed programs remain available. If you regularly use several different programs, not having to reinstall them on your new system can save you a lot of time. When you purchase a new name-brand computer it might come with several programs pre-installed that you are not interested in using. If you no longer use a programit didn't live up to your expectations, your interests changed, you replaced it with something better, and so onand you don't intend to ever use it again, you should remove it to avoid taking up valuable disk space.

Installing Programs

You can install programs from a variety of sources, including physical media that you can hold in your handsuch as a CD, DVD, or floppy diskand less tangible sources such as a file stored on your computer, on your network, or on a Web site. Regardless of the source of the installation files, you install almost all programs by running an executable file, which is often named Setup.exe. However, the precise installation process varies from program to program.

Here is what you might expect to encounter when installing from various sources:

CD or DVD installation. Many software manufacturers use an autorun file, which is located in the root directory of the CD or DVD. When you insert a disc in a drive, Windows Vista looks for an autorun file and, if one is available, starts it automatically. The autorun file in turn starts an executable file that either leads you through a setup process or simply starts the program stored on the CD or DVD. Autorun files take the guesswork out of the setup process, because they don't require you to browse to a specific location, find a specific file, run a specific program, or make decisions about how to install the program.
Network installation. If you work for a company that keeps the most current versions of its licensed software on one or more servers rather than distributing it on CD to its employees, you will likely install programs directly from a network server. Your network administrator will give you instructions for locating and installing these programs.
Internet installation. Many companies supply free software or software upgrades that you can download or install from a Web site. To install a program over the Internet, click the link that is provided. If your Internet browser security settings allow file downloads and are set to prompt you for permission, you will have two optionsto run the installation file from its current location on the Internet, or to download the installation file to your computer and run it from there. If you have a high-speed Internet connection through a DSL modem or a cable modem, and the installation file is small, it is simplest to run the installation file from the Internet. If you have a slower or less reliable connection, or the installation file is large, it is a good idea to download the file and run it locally.

Depending on the program you are installing, you might have to enter a unique registration code, called a product key or CD key, during the setup process. Product keys are issued by the software manufacturer, either physically or electronically:

If you are installing the program from a CD or DVD, the product key is usually located on a sticker on the back of the jewel case.
If you are installing the program from a network server, your network administrator will be able to supply the product key.
If you are installing the program from the Internet, the software owner will supply you with a product key when you pay for it; free software might not require a product key, but the software supplier might request or require you to register with the company before installing the software. The information you provide might be used to register your interest in the product for support purposes, for statistical purposes, or so that the supplier can follow up with marketing materials and other information.

Tip

In the United States, the E-mail User Protection Act (HR 1910) requires that companies provide you with a means to remove yourself from mailing lists, and you can generally find a removal link or instructions at the bottom of the e-mail messages you receive from the company if you would prefer not to receive further messages.

Product keys are one of the methods software manufacturers use to try to prevent software piracy. A program that requires a product key for installation can't be installed without it. If you lose your product key, you won't be able to install the program in the future, unless you have registered your copy of the software and can successfully appeal to the software manufacturer for a replacement product key.

See Also

For information about software piracy, see the sidebar "The Perils of Piracy" in Chapter 1, "Getting Started with Windows Vista."

Most software companies require that you read and acknowledge a license agreement before you can install their software. You might be tempted to just click I Agree so that you can move on, but bear in mind that the license agreement is a legal contract. As with any contract, it is a good idea to read the agreement before consenting to it and installing the software.

Troubleshooting

With Windows Vista, only a user with administrative privileges can install some types of programs on your computer. If you do not have administrative privileges for the computer on which you want to install a new program, or if you are logged in with a Standard account (which we recommend for security), Windows prompts you to enter an administrative password to continue.

Many programs offer multiple installation options, such as typical, complete, or custom. Some programs that you install from a CD or DVD offer the option of copying large files to your computer or accessing them from the CD or DVD when needed. To save space on your hard disk for the features you will use most, you might have the option of waiting to install rarely used program features until the first time you need them. When choosing your installation type, consider the way in which you will use the program, the amount of space it requires, and how much space is available on your hard disk. Also think about whether the installation source will be available to you later, in case you need to reinstall the program or access features that weren't installed initially. In most cases, the default (typical) installation fits the needs of the average user and is the best choice.

When you start the installation process, most programs offer you the opportunity to accept or change the installation location, which is usually a product-specific subfolder within the Program Files folder on your drive C. Unless you have a very specific reason for doing so, there is no need to change this default location; accepting it guarantees that the program and Windows know where to find program files. While actively installing files, the installation program might display a progress bar to keep you informed about what is going on during the installation process, and you might be informed of specific actions and file installations as they occur.

When the installation process is complete, you might be required to restart your computer. Restarting the computer allows the installation program to replace older versions of files that are in use and to clean up after itself.

Tip

If you would prefer not to restart your computer after installing a program, you can close the dialog box by clicking its Close button. The final setup tasks will then be completed the next time you start or restart the computer.

Removing Programs

Most commercial programs have many componentsexecutable files, reference files, theme or graphic files, shortcuts, registry settings, and so onand each component has to reside in a specific location for the program to work correctly. If you want to remove a program from your hard disk, it would be tediousand with some large programs, virtually impossibleto track down and delete all its components. To ensure that a program is removed completely, instead of deleting the program's files and folders directly, you should always uninstall the program through Control Panel, as described in the following steps.

1.	Display Control Panel, and under Programs, click the Uninstall a program task. The Programs And Features window opens. [View full size image]
2.	In the list of installed programs, select the one you want to remove. Uninstall and Change buttons appear on the toolbar. Tip If you want to change the setup of a program after you have installed itfor example, to install parts of the program that weren't included in the original installationyou can click the Change button on the toolbar to re-run the program setup from files installed on your computer.
3.	On the toolbar, click Uninstall. Simple programs might be deleted immediately, and you can then simply close Control Panel. For programs with multiple components, the process is a little more complicated. A message box asks you to confirm that you want to proceed.
4.	In the message box, click Yes. In the User Account Control dialog box, if you're running as an administrator, click Continue. Otherwise, enter an administrator password, and then click OK. The uninstall program gathers information from your computer, including information about any shared components (files that are commonly required by many programs) used by the program you are removing. Then it deletes the files, shortcuts, and registry entries associated with the program. Tip The uninstall program should not remove any documents or other personal files you created by using the program. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to back up any information you don't want to lose. If the program you are removing makes use of shared components, it might be necessary to restart your computer to complete the process. If a restart is necessary, a message box appears, and you have the opportunity to save files and quit programs before continuing.
5.	After saving and closing files, click Yes to restart your computer now, or click No to complete the uninstall process when you next restart or start your computer. If you click No, the program will remain in the list in the Programs And Features window until the next time you start or restart your computer.